LOCATION BEAUMONT TX

Established Series
GWC-KBH-RM
07/2014

BEAUMONT SERIES

The Beaumont series consists of very deep, poorly drained, very slowly permeable soils on coastal plains. These nearly level soils formed in clayey sediments on the Beaumont Formation of the Pleistocene Age. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 20.5 degrees C (69 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation is about 1397 mm (55 in).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, hyperthermic Chromic Dystraquerts

TYPICAL PEDON: Beaumont clay--cropland. (Colors are for moist soil)

Ap--0 to 13 cm, (0 to 5 in); dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay; weak fine granular structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; common fine and medium roots; few fine pores; common fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) and common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron accumulations; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (combined thickness of A subhorizons is 10 to 31 cm [4 to 12 in] thick)

A--13 to 23 cm, (5 to 9 in); dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay; moderate fine angular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; common fine and medium roots; few fine pores; common coarse prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) iron accumulations; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron accumulations in pores and along root channels; few fine iron-manganese concretions; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.

Bw--23 to 48 cm, (9 to 19 in); gray (10YR 5/1) clay; moderate fine angular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; common fine and medium roots; few fine pores; common distinct pressure faces; common coarse prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) and common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron accumulations; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron accumulations in pores and along root channels; common fine iron-manganese concretions and masses; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 102 cm [0 to 40 in] thick)

Bssg1--48 to 109 cm, (19 to 43 in); gray (N 6/) clay; strong fine angular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; common to many (increase with depth) prominent slickensides tilted 65 to 75 degrees from horizontal that are 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) apart; few medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) and common medium prominent reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) iron accumulations; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron accumulations in pores and along root channels; common fine iron-manganese concretions and masses; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bssg horizons is 43 to 142 cm [17 to 56 in] thick)

Bssg2--109 to 142 cm, (43 to 56 in); gray (N 6/) clay; strong fine angular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; many prominent slickensides tilted 65 to 75 degrees from horizontal that are 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) apart; common medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) and reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) iron accumulations; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.)

Bssg3--142 to 203 cm, (56 to 80 in); light gray (N 7/) clay; strong fine angular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; many prominent slickensides tilted 65 to 75 degrees from horizontal that are 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) apart; common medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) and reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) iron accumulations; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, TX; from the intersection of Interstate Highway 10 and U.S. Highway 90 in Beaumont; 12.2 miles west on U.S. Highway 90; 4.6 miles south on South China Road; 1.0 mile east on county road; 0.5 mile south on field road; 150 feet west in cropland. Latitude: 29N, 58, 39; Longitude: 94W, 19, 50. NAD 83; UTM Zone 15

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Undisturbed areas have gilgai microrelief with microknolls 10 to 38 cm (4 to 15 in) above the microdepressions. When dry, cracks 1 to more than 2 cm (1/2 to more than 1 in) wide at the surface extend to a depth of 30 cm (12 in) or more. Cracks remain open for less than 60 cumulative days in most years. Depth to slickensides and wedge shaped peds begin at a depth ranging from 20 to 61 cm (8 to 24 in). Iron-manganese concretions and/or masses range from few to common.
Soil Moisture: An Aquic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 21.7 to 22.2 degrees C (71 to 72 degrees F)
Vertic features: 20 to 203 cm (8 to 80 in)

Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 42 to 60 percent
Sand content: 7 to 29 percent

Ap or A Horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay or silty clay
Clay content: 42 to 55 percent
Redox concentrations: amount-0-20 percent, contrast-faint to prominent, boundary-diffuse to sharp, location-in pore linings and along root channels, shades- red, yellow, or brown
Reaction: extremely acid or very strongly acid

Bw Horizon
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 2
Texture: clay or silty clay
Clay content: 41 to 65 percent
Redox concentrations: amount-0-20 percent, contrast-faint to prominent, boundary-diffuse to sharp, location-in pore linings and along root channels, shades- red, yellow, or brown
Reaction: extremely acid or very strongly acid

Bssg Horizon
Hue: 10YR to 5Y, and N
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 2
Texture: clay or silty clay
Clay content: 44 to 65 percent
Redox concentrations: amount-0-20 percent, contrast-faint to prominent, boundary-diffuse to sharp, location-in pore linings and along root channels, shades- red, yellow, or brown
Reaction: extremely acid to strongly acid in the upper part, very strongly acid to moderately acid in the middle part, and very strongly acid to neutral in the lower part

COMPETING SERIES: These are no competing series. Similar soils are the Bacliff, China, League, and Vamont series.
Bacliff and Vamont soils: strongly to moderately acid in the upper part
China and League soils: do not have an aquic moisture regime and have a mollic epipedon

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: clayey fluviomarine deposits on the Beaumont Formation of late Pleistocene Age
Landform: slight depressions on coastal plains
Slope: 0 to 1 percent
Mean annual air temperature range: 20.0 to 22.2 degrees C (68 to 72 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation range: 1219 to 1575 mm (48 to 62 in)
Frost-free period: 270 to 300 days
Elevation: 1.5 to 30.5 meters (5 to 100 feet)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the China, League, Harris and Viterbo series.
China and League soils: on slightly higher landform
Harris soils: in marsh
Viterbo soils: have an argillic horizon

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Permeability is very slow. Runoff is negligible.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for native pasture or rice production. Rice is usually grown on a 1 in 4 year rotation. Improved pastures are mostly bahiagrass. Native grasses are mainly little bluestem, indiangrass, eastern gamagrass, switchgrass, Flordia paspalum, big bluestem, brownseed paspalum, knotroot bristlegrass, sedges and rushes. In some areas pine and hardwood trees have encroached.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Gulf Coast Prairie of Texas east of the Trinity River; LRR T; MLRA 150A; the series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Texas; 1947

REMARKS:
The Beaumont series is a benchmark soil.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle size control section: 25 to 100 cm (10 to 40 in)

Ochric epipedon: 0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 in)
Aquic Conditions: 0 to 203 cm (0 to 80 in)
Slickensides: 48 to 203 cm (19 to 80 in)
Redoximorphic concentrations: 0 to 203 cm (0 to 80 in)
Reduced Matrix: 0 to 203 cm (0 to 80 in)

Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL data from type location in Jefferson Co. Tex. (S90-TX-245-021); NSSL data Liberty Co. TX (S59-TX-123-02)(S83-TX-291-05); TAMU data Chambers Co. TX (S55-TX-36-90)(S55-TX-36-91).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.